Ments



E. J. RA S IVIUSSEN.

ATTACHMENT FOR MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED APILZZ, I9I8.

1,320,711. Patented NOV. 4,1919.

WITNESS I INVENTOR. Ewesf Jlfasmzzssea A TTORNE Y ERNEST J. RASMUSSEN, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, OF ONE-HALF T0 HELEN R. PECK, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR MACHINE-GUNS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST J. RASMUSSEN, a citizen of the United States, an officer in the United States Army, at present stationed in the Territory of Hawaii, have made a new and useful invention, to wit: an Attachment for'Machine-Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

I This invention is an attachment for machine guns by which they may be automatically controlled while in operation.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means for automatically controlling the lateral sweep or horizontal swing of a machine gun on its swivel base. A further object is to provide means whereby the bullets may be automatically placed in uniform laterally -spaced relation at any given range. A further object is to provide an attachment which may be applied to any machine gun of the types now in general use without materially changing the construction of the ing the invention is disclosed in an operative construction, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to this particular form because it is capable of modification; and it is to be further understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the said invention in whatever mechanically equivalent form it may be embodied. 1

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a conventional rapid fire machine gun having this invention applied thereto. 7

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the driving mechanism of the automatic control.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same looking toward the rear or breech of the n. i Fig. 4 is aplan view of the same from below.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes see Fig. 1, a conventional machine gun of any type having a loading and firing mechanism within a breech part 1 of'the gun and having a projecting barrel 2 surrounded by a cooling jacket 3. The gun is mounted in a support 4- having a swivel engagement with a base 5 mounted upon adjustable legs, such as 6 Specification of Letters Patent.

'by the handle 5.

In the specification and the annexed draw- Patented Nov. 41, 1919.

Application filed April 22, 1918. Serial No. 230,103.

and 7. The vertical angle of the gun is controlled by suitable means such as an adjustable screw 4 working in a bracket 1 carried by the support 4. The gun is normally swung on its pivot and otherwise controlled Guns of this type are automatically operated after loading and firing by means of the recoil.

The attachment forming the substance of this invention consists of the bracket 12 of any shape to fixedly engage the breech part 1 of the gun, below a projecting stud 9, which is fixed in the reciprocating or recoiling member 10 and projects through a slot 11 in the said breech part 1. The transverse shaft 13 is journaled in the bearings 14: and 15 carried by the bracket 12, and is provided with a worm 16 located between said bearings. The protruding end of the shaft carries a clutch casing 19, which is provided with a central hub 19 fixedly attached to said shaft. Loosely mounted on said hub 19 is a rotatable ratchet member 17, the teeth 20 of which cooperate with balls or rollers 18, and the casing 19,to provide a well-known type of ball clutch. The impact lever 21 is rigidly attached to the ratchet member 17 by suitable means, such as screws 22, and is positioned in the path of movement of the stud 9. In operation, the recoil of the stud 9 forces'the lever-21 backward. This action crampsthe balls or rollers 18 in the narrowest portions of the pockets formed by the teeth 20 and the casing 19, thereby effecting a clutching together of the ratchet member and the casing, to impart rotative movement to the shaft 13. When the stud 9 returns to its normal position, the spring 22 causes the lever 21 to follow it up until said lever strikes the adjustableabutment 24, the movement of the lever in the return direction being without effect upon the shaft 13, because the relative movement of the ratchet member 17 and clutch casing 19 is then in the unclutching direction, thereby freeing the lever. The abutment 24 is held in position on the bracket 12 by suitable means, such as screws 25, and serves to regulate the distance that 'the lever 21 travels and through it the the operation of the gun. The. worm 16 is enmeshed with the worm gear 26 rotatable upon a stud shaft fixed in the lug 27 form.- ing part of the bracket 12. The slotted disk 28 is formed integrally with or rigidly fixed to the worm gear 26 and revolves therewith. This disk is provided with the adjustable pin 29 fixed in the block 30 slidably fittingin the dovetailed cross slot 31 formed in the face of the disk 28 see Figs. 2 and 3. The collet 32 has a flange 32' bearing against/theface of the ring 28. A link section 33 pivotally engages this collet and oscillates freely between the fiange 32 and the washer 34 which bears against the end of the collet 31 without pinching the lever 33. The block 30 is frictionally held .fixed in the slot 31 by means of the eccentric cam face 35 on the handle 36, pivoted on the pin 37 passing transversely through the stud 39. The inclined edges of the block 30 jam in the dovetailed slot under influence of the collet binding against the face of the plate 28 when jammed by the handle 36. The other end 33v of the link is pivoted on the stud 38 fixed on the stationary base 5 of the gun in a position offset from the center ofsaid base 5. The length of this link is made adjustable by overlapping the ends of the bars 33 and 33 and clamping them together by means of cam handles 39 similar to 36 engaging stud pins 40*40 fixed in the part 33 and protruding through slots in the part 33. Thesehandles, such as 36 and 39, are preferred to running nuts having screw threads because they are more quickly moved and less liable to vibrate loose.

In practice the gun is placed. on its base in the usual manner and the sector of terrain to be covered by it is determined for example, say degrees). The handle 36 is then manipulated to adjust the stud 29 relative to the xis of the disk 28 to determine the degree of oscillation or lateral sweep of the gun in azimuth. By manually rotating 4 the shaft 13 by hand crank or lever 41 (Fig.

2) in a manner to simulate its action during fire, the disk 28 is caused to so rotate as to bring the gun to either extreme of its lateral movement as permitted by the adjusted position of the stud 29. This being done the locks 40 are released permitting adjustment of the length of link sections 33 and 33.

The gun is then manually swung on the base".

5 to bring'it in alinement with the corresponding extreme of the sector to be covered by fire. The link sections being properly adjusted with this movement of the gun, the locks 40 are operated to prevent relative movement of said sections.

After the above adj ustinent has been made the first shot is fired and the succeeding shots follow automatically, each reciprocation of the stud 9 moving the'lever 21 as described, rotating the shaft 13 which in turn rotates the gear 20 and the disk 28 and swings the stud 29 in a circle about its axis operating through the link sections 3333 to move the gun in the arc ofa circle, the extent of the are or sweep being varied by adjustment of stud 29 in slot 31 as described. The number of shots necessary to move the gun from one extremity of this are to the other extremity thereof is controlled by the adjustment r i the abutment vmember 24, the position of which is varied to regulate the length ofthe stroke of the lever 23. It is to be understood, however, that no matter what adjustment may be made of the stud 29 in the slot 31, to vary the extent of lateral sweep or oscillation of the gun over the terrain to be covered by fire, the same proportionate spacing of the bullets or shots at the target may be maintained by a suitable adjustment of the abutment member 24. It may be found desirable under some conditions to increase or diminish the degree of lateral movement of the gun between shots in a given sector or are without adjusting the stud 29 and this result is obtained by an adjustment of the member 24, which permits a greater or lesser travel of the lever 21 on each recoil of the 'gun resulting in corresponding variations in 24, which regulates the extent of movement of. lever 21 with micrometer exactness.

The construction illustrated may be considered as designed to place one bullet every twelve inches at a range of 1000 yards in an arc of 45 degrees, this spacing of the bullets being variable by simply adjusting the position of the lever 23 to any extent desired through the medium of adjustable abutment member 21. When it is desired to vary the lateral location or general direction of the arc of operation the effective length of the link sections 3333 is varied by means of the adjustment provided through the handles 39. The gun will continue to swing laterally back and forth as long as it is firing, independent of. the action of the operator, but adjustable as he sees fit. Under stress of excitement due to military action in battle operators sometimes neglect to swing their guns laterally resulting in great waste of ammunition placed in a limited range. Not only is this true, but as a matter of fact it is physically impossible for an operator who is exercising manual control of a machinegun, to completely and effectively cover the sector unless the gun is repeatedly discharged over the same terrain. Nor can he accurately regulate-the distribution of bullets over the target. By the use of attachm nts conformingto the invention, on

a battery of machine guns, a given sector of terrain can be covered with mathematical surety by a proper setting of the ranges of the gun in the battery, to cover their respective portions of the sector, thus insuring a uniform lateral spacing of the bullets as they are discharged from the gun. Should it be desired to swing the gun manually independently of the control attachi'nent, locks 40 may be loosened, the link sections 33 33 free, whereupon the operator may swing the gun manually independently of the attach mnt. It is to be understood that in practice, the invention when applied to a machine gun, does not in any manner interfere with the up and down adjustments accomplished through the medium of screw 4 in the form of gun illustrated. Thus if an irregularterrain is "to be covered the muzzle of the gun may be elevated and depressed by the operator as the gun automatically moves in azimuth.

In the construction above described, simplicity has been a prime consideration, having rough usage and abuse in view. However, modifications within the purview of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art in applying the ir.-

vention to particular conditions.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In combination with a machine gun laterally swiveled on a base, a driving means operated bythe firing of the gun, and an operating member connecting said driving means with a stationary point.

2. In combination with a machine gun having a reciprocating member, a clutch having a part engaging said reciprocating member, a driving gear operated by said clutch for laterally moving the gun, and an operating member movably connected to said driving gear and to a stationary part ofthe gun.

3. In combination with a machine gun swiveled on a base and having a reciprocating part, a shaft, a ratchet clutch on said shaft and operated by said reciprocating part, an. actuator geared to said shaft. a

. member operated thereby, and an operating member pivotedjto said operated member and to said base contiguous .to said swivel, whereby the gun is automatically moved in azimuth.

4.111 combination with a machine gun swiveled on a base,,a movable member supported by. said gun. means for actuating said movable member bythe firing of the gun, and an operating member pivoted to the movable member and to said base, whereby the gun is automatically moved in azimuth.

5. In combination with a machine gun swiveled on a base, a revoluble disk'supported by said gun, means for revolving said disk by the firing of the gun, and an opmovable member and to said base, a shaft having a drivingpart meshed with said gear, a clutch engaging said shaft, and a pivoted lever for actuating said clutch arranged to engage a reciprocable part of the gun, whereby the gun is automatically moved in azimuth. v

7. In combination with a machine gun swiveled on a base, agear revoluble on said gun, a shaft having a driving member meshed with said gear, a ratchet clutch engaging shaft, a lever on said clutch arranged in the path of a reciprocating part of said gun and adapted to be operated by the firing of the gun, and an operating member pivoted to a movable member actuated by said gear and to said base adjacent to said swivel, 'whereby'the gun is automatically moved in azimuth.

8. In combination with a machine gun swiveled on a base and having a reciprocating part, a clutch operatively related to said reciprocating part, driving means intermit-. tently operated by said clutch, a movable member actuated'by said driving means, a link connecting said movable member to a stationary object, means connecting said movable member with said link, whereby the gun is automatically moved in azimuth, and adjustable means to vary the degree of movement in azimuth imparted to the gun by each sweep of said movable member.

9. In combination with a machine gun laterally swiveled, a driving means for moving the gun in azimuth, operated by the firing of the gun, and an operating link pivoted to said driving means and to a relatively stationary object.

IOJAn attachment for machine guns 'which'have a reciprocable part, said attachment comprising'actuating means positioned to be engaged by the reciprocable part whereby it is actuated by recoil of the gun, V

tioned to be actuated by the reciprocable part, an operating member connected to the movable member and-to a relatively stationary object whereby the gun is automatically moved in azimuth, and means permitting the adjustment connection between said movable member and the operating member, whereby the degree of movement of the gun in azimuth may be varied.

12. In combination with a machine gun swiveled on a base and having a reciprocable part, a clutch having a portion engaging said reciprocable part, means connected with a stationary point and cooperating with said clutch for imparting movement in azimuth to the gun at each recoil of the gun, and means for regulating the movement of the first mentioned means, through the clutch, from each recoil of the gun.

13. An attachment for machine guns which have .a reciprocable part, said attachment comprising means positioned to be engaged by said reciprocable part, means connected with a stationary point and cooperating with the first means for imparting movement in azimuth to the gun as the gun is fired, and means for regulating the degree of movement of the gun in azimuth from the recoil of each shot fired therefrom.

14c. An attachment for machine guns which have a reciprocable part, said attachment comprising means for imparting movement in azimuth to the gun, a movable member interposed between said means and the reciprocable part of the gun for rendering said means operative upon each recoil of the gun, and means for variably limiting the extent of movement of said member to regulate the degree of movement of the gun in azimuth from the recoil of each shot fired therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 5th day of March 1918.

ERNEST J. RASMUSSEN.

In the presence of BALDWIN VALE, A. J. HENRY. 

